What Vitamins and Minerals You Need Daily

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Vitamins & Minerals for Healthy Bodies

In modern busy everyday life most people can’t afford to live and eat healthy which results in number of illnesses, obesity and general malnutrition. To avoid that, doctors advise we should regularly take vitamins and minerals which will help our bodies work properly.

Although we get vitamins and minerals from the foods we consume, some foods have more of them, and some less. In order to keep the body in balance all of them are needed on a daily basis, so nutritional supplements are great, especially when you reach middle age, or you have some chronic conditions. Supplements are also recommendable for children, teenagers and pregnant women. Medical professionals and nutritionists say that supplements are necessary because people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables but consume processed foods, which lack essential nutrients. Below are some of the most important vitamins for the body:

The ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, acts as an antioxidant in body, protecting the cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Through it the body also makes the protein collagen, required for healing of wounds. Vitamin C also helps the immune system to work properly, and improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods. It is a water-soluble vitamin, so it needs to be dissolved in water before your body can absorb it, and this is the reason why the body can’t store it, you have to provide it every day.

It also boosts the immune system and acts as an antioxidant, but vitamin E also helps widen the blood vessels and keeps blood from clotting. It plays a crucial role in cells interaction.

Vitamin D

Very few foods naturally have vitamin D, so we need to take it from supplements. It keeps the bones strong by helping the body absorb calcium, but it has a lot of other functions – the nerves and the muscles need it, the immune system also needs it.

Calcium

This mineral is one of the main builders of the body supporting the structure and hardness of bones and teeth. Calcium also helps the release of different hormones and enzymes.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is important for the immune system, the reproduction, and the vision, as well as for the heart, kidneys, lungs, and other organs.

These are only a fraction of all essential nutrients we need to provide to the body every single day and scientists say that the soil is depleted, so the food we grow on it lacks essential minerals. When the food doesn’t give us all vitamins and minerals, we need to take food supplements. Especially elderly people should take more calcium and vitamin D in order to maintain their bones strong and healthy. The cell regeneration slows with age, causing body systems to become less efficient. The absorption of nutrients is affected, and that’s why, people after the age of 40-45 should take different supplements.